Apparatus for use in electrolysis



(No Model.)

I. L. ROBERTS. APPARATUS FOR USE IN ELEGTROLYSIS.

No. 442,333. Patented Dec. 9, 1890.

WITNESSES; lNVE T0 MQMr VIgj/L ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAIAH L. ROBERTS, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS II MCGRAIV, OF POUGIIKEEPSIE, NEIV YORK.

APPARATUS FOR USE IN ELECTROLYSIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,333, dated December 9, 189 0,

Application filed July 27, 1888. Serial No. 281,225. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: diaphragms and one or more bodies of liquid lie it known that I, ISAIAH L. ROBERTS, a between the electrodes of the cell. citizen of the United States, residing at Brook- Considering, by way of illustration, the aplyn, in the county of Kings and State of New plication of this discovery to the treatment York, have invented certain new and useful of the materials above named, its purpose and 5 Improvements in Apparatus for' Ise in Eleceffect are that any soluble salt of iron which trolysis, of which the following is a specificamay find its way from the anode through one tion, reference being had to the drawings acdiaphragm will enter the intermediate body companying and forming a part of the same. of liquid, and there meeting any of the cans- Io In an application tiled by me J'uly13,1888, tic alkaline solution from the eathozle-chamto Serial No. 279,852,I have described an apparaher will be precipitated without injuring tusfor use in the production by electrolysis of either of the partitions or diaphragins. certain salts and hydrates in which a non- I will explain my invention now in detail porous electrolytic diaphragm is employed to by reference to the drawings, which exhibit [5 effect and maintain the separation of the some of the forms of apparatus which Ihave o salts and hydrates. I have found that by this devised for carrying out the same. process the separation of the elements pro The three figures are in central vertical secduced by the electro-decomposition may be tion and represent modified forms of cell. maintained to a very great extent; but when In Figure 1, A is the trough or box; D, one 0f a single diaphragm is used the operation afthe partitions, in this case in the form of a 79 ter a time is retarded or checked. This I atcup orjar, containing one of the electrodestribute to a change which I have found the say the cathode O. E is a second partition, diaphragm undergoes. Asaninstance,in the also shown as a cup or jar, and containing operation of the process in which the salt of the anode O. The spacebet'ween orsurroundan alkali, as chloride of sodium, is used on ing the two jars is filled with an electrolyte one side of a single diaphragm or partition or conducting-fluid B,and the propersolutions and a decomposable electrode on the other, are put in the two jars. the chlorine radical is transferred to the de- The jars, partitions, or diaphragms I make composable electrode-say of iron-forming of a substantially non porous substance 0 chloride of iron, which is held in solution; which is capable of serving as an electrolyte. So

' but this solution of iron penetrates, to some Such partitions are described in patents extent, at least, the diaphragm, and there granted to me and to Henry L. Brevoort and meets the alkaline hydrate produced at the myself, jointly, and are made partially or same time with the chloride of iron and held whollyofjelly-like or gelatinous substances of 35 in solution on the opposite side of the dia-' various kinds,thatwhich Ipreferbeing made phragm. The meeting of these two salts rein the following manner: I take a cup, plate, sults in the precipitation of the iron as a hyor sheet of very porous or fibrous character drate, which gradually decomposes more or such as baked earthenware or thick felt-and less into an oxide, which is a non-conductor, saturate it by soaking it for several hours, the

40 and not an electrolyte. Thus, although no longer the better, in an aqueous solution of serious consequences result from the actual alum. I then immerse it in a solution of an transfusion of the elements from the liquid alkali-such as caustic soda-until by the acon one side of the diaphragm into that on the tion of the same upon the alum the pores of other, yet the usefulness of the diaphragm or the porous cup or plate are filled with a gelat- 45 partition is gradually destroyed by increasinous mass; or I may soak the cup in an 5 ing its resistance to the passage of the elecaqueous solution of silicate of soda or potash, trolytic current. The plan which I have now which should" be just thin enough to enable devised-for obviating this ditiiculty and renit to penetrate the pores of the cup or plate. dering more practicable and economical my Then when the cup is thoroughly saturated 5o apparatus is to interpose two or more such I dip it, say, for an hour in mu rial to acid or the .salts of a metal, such as chloride of iron. These substances cause the silicate to deposit silica in the form of agelatinous mass in the pores of the cup or plate.

The manner of using this cell will be understood from the following example; In the jar or compartment containing thecathode, which is of carbon or iron, or otherconductor not attacked by the products of the decomposition going on, I place a solution of salt, (chloride of sodium) and in the compartment or jar containing the anode, which should be of iron or a metal that is attacked by and united with the acid radical set free in the cathode-chamber, I place water and sufficient chloride of iron to render it a good conductor. In the intermediate cell I pour a conductingiluid, preferably a solution of a salt of an alkali, and generally the same salt or a similar salt tothat in the cathode-compartment. The effect of a current upon these materials will be to dissociate the chlorine radical from the sodium and transfer it to the anode, with which it combines, forming chloride of iron, while the metallic sodium forms an alkaline hydrate. The intermingling during this process of the chloride of iron and the alkaline hydratein a way to impair the partitions or the purity of the products of decomposition is thus prevented, for should they find their way through the partitions they meet in the liquid in the intervening compartment and are then precipitated. This cellorapparatus may be used for various other electrolytic processes, but in all cases its action is the same.

The principle herein involved may be carried out in various other ways. For example, referring to Fig. 2, the cell there shown contains four partitions or jars. The cathode O is contained in a jar D, similar to those described in connection with Fig. 1. Outside of this is a second jarD of the same or similar character. The anode C is likewise contained in a jar E and an outer jar E. These jars accomplish the same result, while they subserve the further purpose of collecting practically all the escaping salts or hydrates, which at intervals may be poured back into their respective inner jars. The compartments between the inner and outer partitions may be filled with the same solutions as their respective inner compartments. Any solution ofa salt of an alkali, or aconducting solution, however, which will not form with the solutions contained in either compartment a precipitate, may be used in the intermediate cells. It is preferable to employ the same solution as that being decomposed, or in lieu of a solution I may use a paste saturated with a solution of the salt being decomposed, in which case I may dispense with the outer cells DE'. As an example of this I make, and in manyinstances I prefer, an apparatus made up as shown in Fig. 3. In said figure F and F are two jars or cups, preferably made as above described. Between them is a third cup G of similar character. The two cups F and F contain cathodes K and K, and the cup G an anode 1.. The composition of the electrodes and the character of the solutions surrounding them may be the same as above described. I then make up a paste H or gelatinous mass, which acts as an electrolyte, andfill in the spaces around the jars with the same. I make this paste in the following manner: I make a saturated solution of chlorideot' sodium in water and add to it a small proportion of bichloride of mercury, the proportion being from one to two per cent, by weight, of the crystals of bichloride of mercury to the amount of chloride of sodium used. To this solution when cold I then add starch in the proportions of three ounces of starch to one quartof the solution. This I then stir and heat. to the boilingpoint, the paste being sufficiently thin and hot to pour. I then pour it around the jars or cups in the trough and allow it to stand until cool, whenit will be gelatinous and ready for use. It takes the place in an apparatus of this kind of a body of electrolytic or conducting fluid.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In an electrolytic cell or apparatus, the combination, with the electrodes, of two or more electrolytic partitions of non-porous substance, forming compartments for the electrodes, and one or more electrolytic bodies interposed between the partitions, as herein set forth.

2. In an electrolytic cell or apparatus, the combination, with the electrodes, of two or more electrolytic partitions of non-porous substance, forming compartments for the electrodes, and one or more bodies of electrolytic or conducting paste interposed between the partitions, as herein set forth.

ISAIAH L. ROBERTS.

\Vitnesses:

PARKER W. PAGE, FRANK E. HARTLEY. 

